NY Mets Trade Rumors: Alejandro De Aza Completes Deal with Mets
The New York Mets announced the addition of outfielder Alejandro De Aza to their roster on Wednesday, the deal reportedly worth $5.75 million for one year, with the inclusion of a $1.25 million for performance bonuses.
The 31-year-old veteran will be playing the role of a complement to centerfield for Juan Lagares. This means that he will be in a group composed of Lagares, Curtis Granderson, and Michael Conforto.
The Dominican outfielder may not be a big-time player with a superstar label, but he will certainly be an interesting addition to the Mets. The eight-year veteran is a journeyman who had stints with the Florida Marlins, Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, and most recently the San Francisco Giants.
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In 2007, the Marlins surprised everyone by naming him the starting center fielder for the team, even though he was a newcomer. He beat the likes of Eric Reed, Alex Sanchez, and Reggie Abercrombie to the position.
Talking about his journey from one team to another in a career spanning almost a decade already, he thinks that it is no big deal for him. "Like you said, I've been traded before, but the game is still the same no matter where you go. It doesn't matter where you play it, here or wherever you are. It's the same, baseball," he said.
Last season, he produced seven home runs and hit a combined .261 and 32 RBIs while playing for the Orioles, Red Sox, and the Giants.
An interesting thing about him is that he seems to be comfortable with right-handers, having produced a .278 when batting against them. However, his average goes down when dealing with left-handers.
After signing De Aza, the Mets are expected to look and sign a righty-hitting outfielder who will be tasked to replace Michael Cuddyer who opted to retire.
